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From the Publisher – July 2024

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From the Publisher AOP July

We are halfway through the summer, and our family is loving every second of splashing in the pool, hanging out with friends at the movies, shopping downtown, summer sales, and traveling for family vacation time. Summer days are the best, and we are holding on tight to each week we have together before school gets back in session.

One of our favorite weeks of the summer is the 4th of July week. Gathering for a festive holiday with our family and friends includes red, white, and blue everywhere, yummy grilled-out food, melting s’mores by the campfire, and watching bursts of fireworks light up the sky. Celebrating America’s birthday with a bang is a must-do this summer.

Another exciting celebration that July brings for my family is our youngest son’s birthday! Each year, July is kicked off with his birthday party, too. Luckily, over the years, we have coupled his birthday with our annual July 4th party, and it not only makes both celebrations much more memorable but also saves us some time and money when organizing the events each summer.

Do you have an upcoming birthday party to plan? Are you overwhelmed with the thoughts of planning your event? Let us assist you in getting started, and hopefully, it will help save you some time and money this year. In our feature article, Save Time, Money & Even Sanity By Hosting a Sleepover Party, the author gives some clever ideas to help with stress-free planning and savings in your wallet. One tip is to reuse decorations you may have saved from previous gatherings. With the 4th of July and a birthday at the same time, we utilize the festive 4th colors for both events, make or buy a cake and cookies with red, white, and blue designs, and set aside a few fireworks for a birthday finale. The theme is easy to run with, especially this time of the year. We always find stores that stock this theme with streamers, pinatas, paper products, balloons, and flowers. To get a bigger bang for our buck, we salvage the decorations that still have life and store them away until next July.

Check out our second featured article, A Festive Mess: 17 Creative Birthday Activities For An Unforgettable Party. The author reminds us not to be afraid to make the party a bit messy. Kids love to make a mess, so why don’t we join them? What if I tell you that the party kids can get messy and also take home a perfect parting gift, all while saving you some money? Instead of a bag of candy as a parting gift, which can quickly add up, how about a small art activity that goes hand-in-hand (no pun intended) with the party theme? For my son’s birthday, we bought inexpensive white t-shirts, paint, and paintbrushes. Each guest enjoyed painting their hand blue and pressed it to the shirt where the American flag’s stars would be. Next, each kid added a few extra brush strokes, making the flag’s stripes. Ultimately, it was a perfect July 4th t-shirt, personally made by each party guest. Parents loved the idea as a take-home gift, and I was able to keep the party budget in check, all the while creating a fun and unique activity.

Also, don’t forget to look at the 2024 Birthday Party Planner, where you can find local businesses that offer party space, decorations, entertainment, and more. Party planning just got so much easier with the July issue of Auburn Opelika Parents in hand!

From one parent to another, happy party planning and Happy 4th of July!

Kendra Sumner
Author: Kendra Sumner

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From the Publisher – July 2024

by Kendra Sumner time to read: 2 min